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Agra is famous as being home
to one of the seven wonders of the world-the Taj Mahal. The architectural
splendor of the mausoleums, the fort and the palaces is a vivid
remainder of the capital in the 16th and early 17th centuries.
While its significance as a political center ended with the transfer
of the capital to Delhi in 1634 by Shah Jahan, its architectural
wealth has secured its place on the international map.
A pleasant town with comparatively slow pace, Agra is known for
its superb inlay work on marble by craftsmen supposedly the descendants
of those who worked under the Mughals on the Taj. The city is
also famous for its carpets, gold thread embroidery and leather
shoes. Agra was once the capital of the Mughal Empire and even
today it seems to linger in the past. Not surprising, for the
Mughal emperors with their passion for building, endowed the city
with some of the finest structures in the world. It is very easy
to slip away here through the centuries into the grandeur and
intrigues of the Mughal court. Agra is an old city and it is said
that its name was derived from Agrabana, a forest that finds mention
in the epic Mahabharata. In more recent times Agra came into prominence
when Sikandar Lodhi made it his capital city in 1501. The Lodi
rule was to end very soon and Agra passed into the possession
of the Mughals. It was during the time of the third emperor Akbar
that Agra came into its own. He embarked on the construction of
the massive Agra Fort in 1565. Though Akbar was diverted into
building a new capital at Fatehpur Sikri not far away.
Agra continued to retain its importance and Shah Jehan, Akbar's
grandson ornamented the city with that masterpiece of Mughal architecture
- the Taj Mahal and built several other beautiful buildings within
the Agra fort. So overwhelming is the exquisite beauty and presence
of this marble mausoleum that centuries later , even the very
land where it has been located - Agra - has been immortalized
as the City of the Taj. Yet, it doesn't take much for the roving
eye to discover that there's more to Agra than just the fabled
Taj Mahal. The city is a virtual gateway to a world of discovery…
a freeze-frame from a resplendent era that's long since gone by.
Much of the city's impressive past lives in evidence even today,
in the haunting presence inside the monuments, the majesty of
the buildings, the exquisite arts and crafts and not to forget,
the lure of an exceptional cuisine… all, cherished as priceless
legacies of a nostalgic past. The older city of Agra has impressively
retained much of its resplendent history… captivating every visitor
with fond memories to take back home. Today, luxury and modern
convenience also exist adjacent to tradition - luxury hotels,
shopping malls and plazas, wide avenues and a superb choice of
venues for recreation, business, sports, pleasure, education and
the arts.
General Information
Population 11,11,086 (Urban, as per 1991 Census)
Altitude 169 Meters above sea level
Area 82 sq. km.
Temperature SummerMax.21.9 Deg CMin.45.0 Deg C
WinterMax.4.2 Deg CMin.31.7 Deg C
Clothes Summer -Cotton Winter - Light Woolens
Telephone Access Code ++ 91 562 |
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